They follow me in a line, and I give them the lay of the land while we walk through the club. “You’ll be two or three to a table, you’ll never work solo. Anyone asks you to, anyone makes you uncomfortable or does something that makes you feel unsafe, you hit the silent alarm. They’re always on the front left leg of the tables. You hit that button and it alerts the security team andme.”
We cross the threshold into the office and I head for the desk, reaching into the drawer to pull out a few envelopes. Ihand one to each of the girls, except for Sophia. “Put these in your lockers. Your bonuses are inside, and there’s a card with a phone number on it. You need any help you can’t come to me or another member of staff for, you text that number. Her name’s Rowan, and she’ll get you what you need.”
Sophia watches me while I talk, with her arms crossed over her chest and her hip popped out – the one with the stetson on it. A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth while she watches me pass out the envelopes, and still after her friends all leave the office.
“I dropped off the paperwork this morning. You really did it,” she finally says. “You really got us out.”
“I told you I would.”
“A lot of peoplesaythey’ll do things things, Eric,” she tells me. “It doesn’t mean they’re going to follow through. But you’re two for two now. You better watch out, I’m starting to trust you.”
I reach behind the desk and grab the little black gift bag I tucked behind it earlier this evening and I sit on the edge of the desk, dangling the handle of the bag over the tip of my finger. “Come get your bonus, Sugar.”
“That’s not an envelope,” she says, walking toward me.
“How observant of you.”
With her eyes on me, she digs into the bag and pulls out a little turquoise box, damn near looking like she’s gonna whack me with it when she sees it. “Eric.” The way she pulls the lid off of it, you’d think it was a bomb she’s trying to defuse. There’s a necklace inside, a small chain that ends with a knot at the center, one half of it inlaid with diamonds. Not as nice a knot as the ones I make, but a knot all the same.
“The lady at the store said the pink gold would be good with your coloring. Whatever the fuck that means,” I tell her with a chuckle.
“It’s beautiful,” she says. “Will you?”
She hands me the box and turns, standing in front of me with her back to me. I pull the necklace out of the box anddrape it in front of her, bringing the clasp of the chain around to the back of her neck. My fingers trace over the bruise that sits there, mostly hidden under the makeup she tried to cover it up with, and my blood heats. If I could kill the motherfucker a second time, I would.
“You’re all set,” I tell her, bending down to kiss the side of her neck. Pointing toward the bag, I add, “But you’re not done.”
The second turquoise box she pulls out of the bag, holding a pair of X-shaped earrings in the same metal, she does use as a weapon, smacking me hard on the bicep with it. “Eric!” I laugh while she finally pulls out her check, watching as her eyes go fucking wide as saucers while she looks at it. “Eric.”
“I think we’ve established that is, in fact, my name, Sugar,” I tease.
“I can’t take this.”
“Sure you can. It’s not that much.”
“I drive a pre-owned Honda Civic,” she tells me. “I split rent in an apartment with a roommate. Icoupon. A hundred thousand dollars is...insane, Eric.”
Crossing my arms across my chest, I shrug. “It’s a gift. I know you need your independence and you like working for what you have, but you can pay for your school and have a little freedom with it. Maybe get a couple hooks installed in your ceiling,” I wink.
Sophia sets her stuff on the desk behind me and brings her hands to my face. She looks up at me with those seafoam eyes, looking so fucking cute wearing the little buns on her head. “I love you, too.”
THIRTY
Sophia
I take a breath to steady myself before leaving the employee lounge. I didn’t expect to be nervous, going out there, but it’s not exactly easy to change a mindset and a list of expectations that have been ingrained in your mind for years. I expect the worst when I step out into the club, seeing how densely-packed the crowd is, but I hoist my empty tray over my head and puff out my chest anyway as I head for my section.
Rounding the corner behind the frosted glass wall, I’m met with a group of my friends. Ava, Summer, Lindsey and Elissa sit perched on the couch, chatting and laughing with each other. I practically squeal when I see them. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Your super-freakin’-hot boss sent us an invite,” Elissa tells me. Looking around the corner as if he just walked by, she lowers her voice a little bit. “I mean,jeez!”
“He’s totally man-candy,” I laugh, “but don’t tell him that. He doesn’t need the ego boost.”
I scan the menu while I wait for the girls to decide what they want, my eyes landing on a section that says HOUSE SPECIALS, and my throat tightens with a ball of choking panic.
Until I scan over the options.
ANGEL SHOT$9.11
